The Importance and Applicability of Customer Service Skills
A simple smile is often the first step towards great customer service.
Since entering the job market for the first time this summer as a barista, I’ve learned valuable lessons on dealing with customers, maintaining their satisfaction and the product quality while ensuring efficiency. However, I think it also goes without saying that the whole “#1 customer satisfaction guaranteed” shebang is no easy feat and requires time and dedication. While my current job initially seems peripherally unaligned with my future career aspirations, I’m certain that the customer interaction I’m dealing with today will be applicable to my future.
That’s why Sunday Steinkirchner’s blog post on improving one’s customer service skills has given me much to reflect on. These are the tips that I found particularly useful:
3. Special Services/VIP
As Steinkirchner writes, “Offering special treatment to your customers will help them to feel taken care of and it’s also something they might be willing to pay more for.” It simply makes sense to reward those who have been with the company the longest and by doing so, their loyalty is strengthened.
5. Offer Community
Creating a special community for customers not only helps establish their satisfaction but also makes them want to come back. When a company truly takes the time to engage their customers as friends, they are rewarded with loyalty. Furthermore, this helps catalyze word-of-mouth marketing, one of the most powerful forms of promotion.
Image via: http://www.mycustomer.com/blogs/colin-shaw/colin-shaw/excellent-customer-experience-starts-smile